Swing joint



June 19, 1951 V s. A. COLLENDER 2,557,498

SWING J QINT Filed May 1, 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 140 I36 I42 I38 /3 7 O 75 v 74 Il 2 76 3mm GUSTA VEA. COLL ENDER G. A. COLLENDER June 19, 1951 SWING JOINT 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1945 GUSTAVEA. COLLENDER v m3 ww\ \NDN M3 Patented June 19, 1951 SWING JOINT Gustave A. Collender, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Six poration of California Application May 1, 1945, Serial No. 591,286

4 Claims. (Cl. 285-963) This invention relates to, fluid couplings and especially to a swing joint valve for association with crane carriages of the type where the revolvable superstructure embodies a power plant having connections to power actuated mechanisms supported by the undercarriage.

More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a swing joint valve for association with crane carriages of the type wherein a vertical drive shaft extends downwardly from a revolvable cab connection with the tractive mechanlsm of the carriage. In such vehicles, the power plant and control devices are mounted to revolve with the cab, and the problem arises as to how best to establish connections from the control devices to fluid motors mounted on the carriage for various operational purposes.

It is the primary object of my invention to solve this problem, by placing a hollow vertical drive shaft at the center of cab oscillation and making it of suificient size to house a plurality of stationary elongated fluid lines that are connected above the carriage to a novel valve unit that is designed to permit oscillation of the cab without rupture of the lines or fluid leakage.

It is a further object to support the valve unit by one of the fluid lines, and to suspend stationarily, from the valve unit, such fluid lines as must pass downwardly through the hollow propeller shaft.

It is a further object to provide an improved multiple fluid valve assembly for connection to at least two sources of fluid under pressure and designed to discharge selectively, into a multiplicity of conduits. In this connection, it is an object to devise a novel packing unit for a rotary or an oscillating valve of such design, for effec-. tively preventing intermingling of the two or more fluids as they pass from the intake to the discharge ports.

The foregoing, and other important objects of my invention will become clear from a study of the following detailed description when taken ,in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating the manner in which air pressure can be developed and delivered through my novel swing joint valve to the transmission shifter unit and the brakes of the undercarriage of a mobile crane.

Wheels, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a cor- Figure 2 is a similar view showing how hydraulic pressure can be developed and applied to the power steering apparatus of the crane undercarriage. Figs. 1 and 2 could be combined to eliminate a few duplicated parts that they have in common, but to do so would cause confusion.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken centrally and vertically through the swivel joint and its associated parts as seen in Figs. 1 and. 2.-

Figure 4 represents a cross section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a bottom end view of Fig. 3, with nipplesattached for connection to pressure lines.

As schematically shown in Fig. 1, the brake mechanisms 35 for a set of conventional tandem driven wheels (not shown) comprise the usual air chambers, push rods and slack adjusters, and there is a, pair of similar brake mechanisms 82 for the front wheels.

As seen in the schematic view, Fig. 2, separated from Fig. 1 for clarity of illustration, the tie rodfor the front axle 13 is coupled by a, rod 83 to a conventional hydraulic motor 84 that has a ball-headed pin 85 for universally connecting it to any conveniently adjacent portion of a vehicle chassis frame. The ends of the cylinder of the motor 84 (in this instance illustrated as a servo-motor of the reciprocating piston type), are in communication with fluid lines iS-Bi, valve-controlled by the crane operator in a manner presently explained. Hereafter, where any numeral has a, prefix, S refers to steering; T refers to transmission actuation; and B refers to brake-operating means.

Turning again to Fig. 1, the brake mechanisms 35 and B2 are in connection with a pair of longitudinally arranged fluid lines 81 that are connected by cross-branches 88 through a quick-release valve 93 to a compressed air line B9!. The line B9l, like the pipes T-BB and S-86, is coupled to a cylindrical body 93 which is 00- axial with the shaft 56. As now to be described, these various fluid lines are connected through and from the body 93, by way of the interior of. the hollow propeller shaft I6, to a, multi-way valve assembly indicated in its entirety by the numeral 94.

The body '93 has at its lower end (Figs. 3 and 5) five tapped holes 95 for reception of five threaded nipples T95, B9l, and S-98, to

which are coupled the fluid lines T-66, B-9I and 8-86, respectively. These tapped holes communicate through five passages I with five straight pipes I M which project upwardly through the shaft I6 into connection with the lower end of the vertically suspended, stationary, valve body I02 of the multi-way valve assembly 94. Four of the pipes IOI in turn communicate with four passages I03 which extend, individually and separately, partially through the body I02 and then branch out radially to the cylindrical surface of the body I02. The fifth pipe, preferably in communication with the line'B9 I, (since it is single as compared with the dual lines 1 -66 and 8-436), is connected to a passage I04 which goes all the way through the valve body I02, longitudinally thereof, for a reason presently explained.

The stationary valve body I02 is surrounded peripherally by an annular packing sleeve assembly designated in its entirety by the numeral I05; and, surrounding this sleeve there is a rotatable housing comprising a cylindrical sleeve I06 having end caps I01 and I08 secured thereto, adjustably, by screw-threaded interconnection. An anti-friction, annular thrust bearing H0 is Ifitted between the end cap I08 and the packing sleeve I05 to facilitate relative rotation between the stationary valve body I02 and the valve housing I06 (rotatable with the crane cab).

Coaxially united to the upper end of the valve body I02, and in communication with the passage I04, there is a vertical pipe I52, surrounded by a packing gland unit H3, attached to the cap I01 and designed to seal the joint thus composed while permitting relative rotation between the main valve parts I02 and I06. This pipe H2, in effect, is a suspension element which carries the valve body, the pipes WI and the body 93, and which maintains the body 93 in such position as to permit the shaft I6 to revolve freely without rotating the body 93.

The vertical pipe H2 must be stationary, towards which effect it is united at its upper end to a special coupling, known as a Chicksan Swing Joint, which comprises a cylindrical hollow body II4 having a frustro-conical integral extension I|5 designed to rest, with adequate lubrication, upon any complemental part carried by the revolvable crane cab. The body II4 also has an upward round extension II6 coupled to a pipe line B-I II arranged to supply compressed air to the vehicle brakes. Before proceeding to the sources of air and hydraulic fluids, let us complete a study of the valve assembly 94 (Figs. 3 and 4).

The valve boy I02 is surrounded by the packing sleeve unit I05 which comprises, preferably, a series (four in this example) of spaced bronze ring I I8 alternated with other packing elements. Each ring H8 is annularly grooved, externally at I20, and interiorly at I2I, and has a plurality of radial ports I22 for establishing quick communication between the grooves. Each groove I2I communicates with one of the passages I03, and each groove I communicates through a radial port I23 with an internally threaded socket formed integral with the valve sleeve I06. There are four of these sockets, viz., two sockets TI24 designed for connection with compressed air pipes TI25, and two sockets S-I24 designed for connection with hydraulic fluid pipes SI25.

Each bronze ring II 8 has wedge-shaped side edges forced into tight engagement with a plurality of complementally shaped Neoprene rings I26 to form a chevron type packing through which there is little or no possibility of fluid escape axially of the valve assembly. At the extreme ends of the packing, suitable bronze rings I21 are provided to engage the adjacent rings I26 and to afford anti-friction surfaces assisting in permitting facile oscillation of the sleeve I06 relative to the stationary valve body I02.

With exclusive reference now to Fig. 1, the compressed air source for the pipe lines B-I I1 and TI25 comprises a conventional compressor I30, delivering through a tube I3I into a reservoir I32, which in turn discharges into a pipe I33, connected to suitable hand-operable valves I34 and I35.

The valve I34 is of necessity, in this disclosure,

a four-Way valve designed to admit and exhaust compressed air from either end of the transmission servo-motor 64. The other hand valve, I35, is designed to control the air brake units 35 and 82 in a manner that is conventional except for the interposition of the valve assembly 94 and its associated parts.

Now, with exclusive reference to Fig. 2, hydraulic actuation of the steering mechanism is provided by a conventional oil pump I36, discharging into a line I 31 which includes a conventional pop; off valve I38, and thence into a known type of valve I40 having a hand-control lever I4l operable by the crane cab-man. By oscillating the lever I4l into either of its extreme positions, oil or the like is forced into one or the other of the pipes S-I25 and thence into one or the other end of the hydraulic servo-motor 84, while the low pressure or exhausting end of the motor 84 discharges backwardly and upwardly through one of the pipes SI25 and thence into a return pipe I42 that dumps into a reservoir I43. The latter is connected by a line I44 to the pump I36, for delivery thereto. Most of this is conventional and here shown to afford an adequate disclosure. My contribution to this aspect of the invention consists mainly in the incorporation of the valve assembly 94 and the association of this assembly with other vital parts.

I wish to be limited in customary manner only by reasonably liberal interpretation of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a swing joint valve structure, a casing containing a cylindrical core, relatively rotatable, said casing having a plurality of lateral ports, said core having a corresponding plurality of passageways individually connected to said ports and extending outwardly through one end of said core, and an additional passageway extending entirely through the core from one end to the other thereof.

2. In the structure defined in claim 1, said additional passageway entering said one end of the core axially thereof, and a tubular member connected thereinto axially at said one end so as not to interfere with the relative rotation between said casing and said core.

3. In a swing joint valve structure, a stationary core of circular cross section, a coaxial pipe fixed to one end thereof, a passageway in said core in communication with said pipe and extending to the opposite end of said core, said core having further passageways extending axially from said opposite end and thence opening laterally outwardly, a sleeve oscillatable around the core, and connections to said sleeve and thence therethrough to the last mentioned core passageways.

4. In the structure defined in claim 3, appara- 8 8 tus mounting said connections and thereby said Number Name Date sleeve for swinging movement in a horizontal 1,697,261 Daughs Jan. 1, 1929 plane, and means on said apparatus suspending 1,777,109 Stokes, et a1 Sept. 30, 1930 said pipe vertically and rotatable with respect 1,947,363 Shunk Feb. 13, 1934 thereto. 5 ,187,147 Englesson Jan. 16, 1940 GUSTAVE A. COLLENDER. 2,254,192 White Aug. 26, 1941 2,308,137 White Jan. 12, 1943 REFERENCES CITED 2,321,927 McCoy June 15, 1943 2,343,491 Bard. Mar. 7, 1944 g g l fi-i are of record m the 10 2,343,800 Rauch Mar. 7, 1944 2,372,311 Brown Mar. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 528,773 Ellis Nov. 6, 1894 1,320,635 Moore Nov. 4, 1919 15 

